Rome, Italy—It’s Sunday. You will not be able to buy a new wastebasket or an iPhone. It’s going to be tough if you didn’t get your prescriptions filled yesterday. Don’t plan on going out for that big breakfast (most any day for this last one). Since most things are closed on Sunday, commerce will take a little longer to get rolling on Monday. So, scuttle that plan to get out the door at 8 in order to accomplish neglected errands early.

Perhaps this is as it should be.

Our delightful accommodations in Rome (thank you bad economy) are in a residential neighborhood, which means we see the real people, ride the bus with them and eat in their restaurants. Often, I am the only one e-mailing or texting or reading wsj.com on my Blackberry.

Hmm … is that such a good thing for me?

Over the years, I have sometimes been frustrated dealing with European agencies and clients. Early conference calls—can’t do it most times. Vacations—theirs are seemingly endless. Schedules—measured, not frantic. It causes one to wonder how the heck they make a living over here.

Apparently, they do just fine.

As I was thinking about all this, I remembered a comment from one of my European colleagues from the Transworld Advertising Agency Network:

“At our agency, it’s not about hours, it’s about energy.”

He was giving a presentation on their structure and management philosophy. His comment struck me as oh so true. In the U.S. it seems our focus is too often on hours versus bringing intense, effective energy to the tasks at hand. Do you really need to e-mail while driving or do you need to e-mail effectively once you arrive? (Not to mention that you are 26 times more likely to kill yourself or someone else when you type while behind the wheel.)

In that spirit, my energies will be shifting elsewhere for a week. Ciao!